Making The Imperfect Perfect: The Adaptation Of Hebrews 11 In The 9Th Mēmrā Of The Syriac Book Of Steps

10.1163/ej.9789004167155.i-608.48

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Chapter Summary

The author understands that the prophets of the Old Testament were holy people, eminently worthy of living the way of Perfection (gmiruta), but because of their violent acts God held them back from Perfection? even though it was God who commanded these prophets to do these very same deeds?until after the Apostles were admitted. The author of Book of Steps (BoS) not only utilizes Heb 11:39?40 as his interpretive solution, his canon within the canon, but he also shapes the mēmrā into the genre of Hebrew 11?s rehearsal of Old Testament saints of faith, albeit from a distinctive homiletical perspective. Hebrews 11 constructs its own group of heroes, and the author of BoS will likewise exercise his own peculiar reading and choices of the journey towards Christian perfection.